Vending machine



May 19, 1964 w. c. CHRISTINE ETAL 3,133,671

VENDING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 WILLIAM c.cnms-rme,

:g sapa a meace y 1964 w. c. CHRISTINE ETAL 3,133,671

VENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1962 AT-rozNE-Y 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 W. C. CHRISTINE ETAL VENDING MACHINE May 19, 1964 FiledMarch 9, 1962 y 19, 1964 w. c. CHRISTINE ETAL 3,133,671

VENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 9, 1962 INVENTORS wu..\.|AMc. cmusrn a,

:rosapu E. P\ERCE.

%,, A ATTORNEY 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 MANUAL WATER 5W INVENTORS ATTORNEY May19, 1964 w. c. CHRISTINE ETAL VENDING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1962 3 L Bm mm HG m G 4 1 R E T A I- H ii. I. .G l 9 4 p w 1 e 1 a 5/ 5m. 5 8aP Hltlll n 42w Ehg- H p g 3,133,671 Patented May 19, 1964 3,133,671 I v aVENDING MACEHNE William C. Christine and Joseph E. Pierce, Allentown,Pa, assignors to Allen Electronics, 'Inc., llentown,'la.', a corporationof Pennsylvania I Filed Mar. 9, 1962,'Ser. No. 178,716 7 J I 3 Claims. 7((1221-44) This invention relates to a coin operated vending machine,and more particularly to a machine for conveniently vending ordispensing foodstufis such as hot'chocolate, coffee, soups, tea or thelike. p

. The primary object of this invention is to provide a vending machinewhich includes a cup dispensing mechanism therein wherein uponinsertionof a coin or coins or" a proper denomination in a coinslot,cups will be vended or dispensed one at a time, and'wherein at thesametime q 1 packets of foodstuffs such as coiiee, soup, tea, hotchocolate or the like will be vended sothat ape'rson can readily emptythe ingredients or contents of the packet into the cup which has beendispensed from the cup dispenser, and

wherein the cup with the ingredients therein can subsequently be placedin position to conveniently receive a predetermined quantity of hotwater to permit the desired food product to be conveniently or readilymade or on mulated. I p A further object of the present invention is toprovide a vending machine which includes a novel cup drop mechanism asWell as a coin mechanism assembly and a packet drop mechanism, andwherein according to the present in- United s turated O fi indicatesthevendingmachine of the present invention which is shown to comprise ahollow housing or casing 31, and the vending machine may be suitablysupported on legs if desired or required. The housing 31 includeshorizontally disposed spaced parallel top and bottom walls 32 and 33aswell as a vertically disposed back wall 34, FIG. 3, andthe housing 31further includes spaced parallel vertically disposed side walls, 35 and36. The numeral 37 indicates a door which is hingedly connected'as at 38to the sidewall 36, FIG. 2. v

p The numeral 39 indicates a'bracket which is suitably affixed withinthe housing 31 as by welding, and a container or water bottle 40 issupported by the bracket 39,

and the container 4!) is adapted to hold a suitable quantity of Watertherein. The neck portion 41 of the bottle or container 49 projectsthrough an apertureoropening 43 in the'bracket 39, and the numeralindicates a re ceptacle for receiving water from the container 40 for apurpose to be later described.

The numeral 44 indicates a hollow body member which i is arranged withina supporting structure orframework I vention a cup is vended uponinsertion of a coin or coins of a proper denomination, and wherein afood packet is i subsequently dropped into this cup so that theingredients 1 in the food packet can be emptied into the cup whereby amanually operable button on the machine can then be actuated in order todispensea charge or quantity of hot water in order to properly dissolvethe ingredients in the desired manner. I

Still another object is to provide such a vendingmachine that iseconomical to manufacture and eihcien't in operation and which is ruggedin structure and foolproof in use.

These and. other objects of the invention will become apparent from areading of the following specification and claims, together with theaccompanying drawing, wherein 7 like parts are referred to and indicatedby like reference taken on the line 33 of FIG. 6 is a sectional viewtaken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5. g

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating certainstructural details of the cup drop mechanism.

FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of FIG; 7. I

59 as shown in FIG. 3, and the conduit 45 depends from i a receptacle 42and has its lower end terminating within the body member 44 so thatwater from the receptacle 42can flow downwardly through the conduit 45into the body member 44. The numeral 46 indicates an electrical heatingelement which is arranged to heat the water'in the body member 44. Thereis further provided a discharge line 47 which has a valve fittingfigoperatively connected thereto. A thermostat 49 is adapted to beoperatively associated with the body member 44.

' The supporting structure includes a horizontally disposed top section51' as well as a vertically disposed front section 52. I v

The numeral 53 indicates a hollow casing which is suitably affixed tothe front portion 520i the supporting structurefiii, and the casing 53is adapted to have a screenlike member or reticulated member supportedadjacent the bottom wall 55 thereof, and the'bottom wall 55 is slightlyinclined and has a drainage opening 56 therein so that excess'fiuid orfiuidwhich may inadvertently or, accidentally spill can ilow downwardlythrough the opening 56 and be conveniently collected in a drip pan 57.The drip pan 57 is of the removable type so that itcan be emptied ifdesired or required. The door 327 has an opening 53 therein whichisadapted to register'with the'bracket or casingSSwhen the door 37 is inclosed position as shown in PEG. 1, and theinterior of the casing'53 ishollow so that it defines or provides a well for receiving a cup there-I in, and such a cup is indicated in broken lines by the numeral oil inFIG. 3, and this cup is adapted to receive FIG. 8 is a sectional viewtaken ontheline 8-8 of I FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective viewillustrating certain structural details of the cup drop mechanism. FIG.11 is a schematic wiring diagram illustrating the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a weighted member 'for apacket dropunit.

I Referring detail to the drawings, the numeral 30 lypainted orprintedon the outer trout surface of the a predetermined quantity of hot waterfor use in preparing l the food product to be consumed by the purchaser.

The numeral 61 indicates a dispenserwhich is operativelyconnected to thedoor 37, and as shown in FIG. 3

the dispenser 61. includes a hollow. casing 62 whichis adapted to bedetachably connected to the inner surface of the door 37. A horizontallydisposed support element 63 is suitabl'yaifixed within the casing 62,and a plurality of superimposedpackagesof sugar are adapted to'bc, sup-7 ported in stacked relation above the element 63. The

numeral 65 indicatesan inclined piece in the lowerportion of the casing62, and stirrers made of a suitable material such as wood, plastic orthe like are adapted to be conveniently supported above the inclinedpiece 65. A flap 67 in the door37 permits a person to readily insert thefingers through the slot or cut-out in orderto remove astirrer 66 and apackage containing sugarso that the ingredientsin the cup can beproperly mixed or stirred as desired or required. Suitable indicia orprinted matter as indicated by thenumerals 68 and 69may be attractive- 3door 37 contiguous to the slot 67 so as to indicate that Sugar andStirrers are available by inserting a finger or fingers through the slot67.

The numeral 70 indicates a flange on the housing 31 which is adapted tohave a slot therein for receiving a keeper 71 which is actuated by atumbler 72 of a locking mechanism, and this locking mechanism is adaptedto be used for selectively maintaining the door 37 in locked position.By inserting a key of the proper configuration or contour in the keyslot '73, the tumbler 72 of the locking mechanism can be actuated inorder to disengage the keeper 71 from the slot in the flange '70 so asto permit the door 37 to swing open about a vertical axis, and forexample the door 37 can be opened when it is desired to gain access tothe interior of the vending machine for any desired purpose such as toreplenish the water in the container 40 or to replenish the packets offood products or to replace or replenish the supply of cups, or toremove the coins from the coin box.

The vending machine of the present invention further includes cupdispensing mechanism which is indicated generally by the numeral 74, andas shown in FIG. 4 for example a hollow base unit or frame unit 75 issuitably aflixed within the housing 31, and the base unit '75 includesspaced parallel vertically disposed side pieces 76 which have aninclined wall piece 77 secured therebetween, and one or more cup holders7 8 are mounted above the base unit 75. A cup dispenser 79 is arrangedcontiguous to the lower end portion of each cup holder 78, and the cupdispenser 79 is constructed so that the cups are dispensed individuallyor one at a time from the stack of superimposed cups.

The mechanism 79 includes a frame member 80 which has an enlargedcircular opening 81 therein, FIG. 9, and a top piece 82 is arrangedabove the frame member 80, and the top piece 82 has an opening 83therein which is aligned with the opening 81. The numeral 84 indicates acircular gear member which is rotatably supported as shown in thedrawings, and the gear member 84 includes a plurality of gear sections85, and the gear member 84 further includes a depending circularshoulder portion 86 which extends into the opening 31. A finger 88 issecured to or formed integral with the rotary gear member 84, and thefinger 88 is movably mounted in a slot or cut-out S9 in the portion 90of the frame member, FIG. 8. There is further provided a plurality ofspaced parallel vertically disposed shafts or pins 91 which extendbetween the top piece 82 and frame member 80, and a plurality of similarcam elements 92 are rotatably mounted on the pins or shafts 91. As shownin FIG. each cam element 92 includes'a lower gear portion 93 which hasits teeth meshing with the teeth 85 of the gear member 84. Each camelement 92 further includes a generally cylindrical portion 97 which hasa lug 94 aflixed thereto or formed integral therewith, and the uppersurface of the cam element 92 is flat as indicated by the numeral 95,and there is provided an inclined cam surface 96.

A bracket 98 is secured to the inner surface of the door 37, and ahingedly mounted closure 99 is mounted for movement into and out of openand closed relation with respect to the bracket 98, there being a handle100 affixed to the closure 99 for facilitating the manual movementthereof. The receiver 98 is hollow so as to define a well 101 forreceiving therein a cup 60 which is dispensed or discharged from the cupdispenser as shown in broken lines in FIG. 4.

The numeral 102 indicates a bracket or frame element which is suitablyaffixed to a side of the base unit 75 adjacent the upper portionthereof, FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, and the bracket or element 102 includes amain straight portion 103 as well as transverse end portions 144 and 105which have aligned slots 106 and 107 therein. The numeral 108 indicatesan elongated operating arm which is slidable through the slots 106 and107, and a tab portion or lug portion 109 is arranged on the front endof the operating arm 108. The numeral 110 indicates a spring contact fora switch unit 111, FIG. 8. The operating arm 108 is provided with slotsor cut-outs 112 therein for the projection therethrough of fingers 88,and return springs 113 each have an end anchored to a finger 88 and theother end of the return springs 113 are anchored to the element 102.

The numeral 114 indicates a shift lever that is pivotally connected tothe operating arm 108 as at 115, and the shift lever 114 has a flange116 on the upper rear portion thereof, FIG. 7. The shift lever 114 isrecessed or cut away as at 117, and the shift lever 114 is also recessedor cut out as at 118 so that there is defined a generally triangular lipor shoulder 119 on the upper front edge portion of the shift lever 114.

The numeral 120 indicates a movable lock out arm that is pivotallyconnected to the base unit as at 121, and the lock out arm 120 isrecessed as at 122 and 123, FIG. 7. Movable cup levers 124 and 125extend through openings 125 in the cup holders 7 8, and the cup lever125 has a pin 127 affixed thereto as by welding. The pin 127 is adaptedto selectively engage the recessed portion 123 in the lock out arm 120.

The vending machine of the present invention further includes a packetmechanism 128 which is operatively connected to the inner portion of thedoor 37, and the packet mechanism 128 includes a plurality of superposedholders 129 which are adapted to support therein packets or packages offoodstufis or ingredients which are to be dispensed from the machine,and these packets are indicated by the numeral 130 in FIG. 4. Thenumeral 131 indicates a support member that is suitably aflixed to theinner portion of the door 37, and a vertically disposed plate 132 issecured to the door 37 as shown in the drawings. A flange 133 dependsfrom an end of the support member 131, FIG. 6, and the numeral 134indicates an elongated rod which extends between the flange 133 and theplate 132. A pair of spaced parallel arms 135 have their lower endsafiixed to the rod 134, and there is provided a spring member 136 whichhas one end afiixed to a lip 137 on the plate 132, and the spring member136 has its other end anchored to one of the arms 135. A rod 138 extendsbetween the upper ends of the arms 135 and is suitably connectedthereto.

There is further provided a plurality of horizontally aligned plungersor shafts 139 which have manually operable knobs 140 on their outerends, and these plungers 139 are movably connected to the door 37, sothat for example the parts can move to and from the position shown insolid and broken lines in FIG. 5. Coil springs 141 are circumposed onthe plungers 139 for urging or biasing the plungers in the properdirection when hand pressure on the knobs 140 is released.

The numeral 142 indicates retainers or body pieces which are connectedto the inner end of the plungers 139. The body pieces or retainers 142each have the same construction and each includes an upper horizontallydisposed section 143, a vertical section 145, an intermediate horizontalsection 146, a vertical section 147 and a lower horizontal section orportion 148, and the upper section 143 has a generally arcuate recess144 therein, FIG. 2, and FIG. 5. Stop portions 149 are arrangedcontiguous to the retainers 142. The numeral 150 indicates securingelements such as screws or bolts which serve to connect L-shaped lugs151 to the lower portion 148 of a retainer 142, and the lugs 151 areadapted to engage and coact with the upper rod 138 as shown in thedrawings.

The numeral 152 indicates a drive member which is adapted to receive thepackets 130 and the guide member 152 serves to guide the packets 130into position in a cup 60 which is arranged in the well 101, FIG. 4. Theguide member 152 has a generally funnel-shape construction so as toaccomplish a desired purpose.

A conventional coin mechanism 153 is'operatively connected to the door37 and plate 132, and there is propivotally supported as at 161.

'vided in the door 37 a coin slot 154 for the insertion of I sonnel whohave the proper key to'open the door 37.

The numeral 157 indicates a movable body piece which is arrangedcontiguous to the plate 132, FIG. 5, and the body, piece 157 hasanextension 158 thereon. The extension 158 is operativelyconnected totheupper rod 138. The body piece 157 also has a flange 159on the upperend thereof, and the numeral 160 indicates a bell crank lever, and thebell crank lever 16% is pivotally connected bell crank lever 16b is tothe flange 159 as at 162. The

As shown in FIG. 12, weighted base pieces 163 are adapted to be arrangedco'ntiguous'to the top of the stack of packets 130, FIG. 4. V

As shown in FIG. 12, the members 163 include a generally flat portionres which'has integral upstanding portions 164 as well as downturnedflanges or skirt portions The numeral 156 indicates The holders 129 areadapted to be filled with as hot 'water is discharged out through theline 47, the

necessary aircan enter through the pipe 172 to permit i the apparatus tofunction in the desired manner.

' stacks or columns of'packets 130whichcontain the ingredients to bedispensed, and suitable name platesor. indicia may be arranged adjacentthe upper ends of the holders 129 to indicate the ingredients in thepackets'130, For example, I

indicia such as printed stickers may be arranged adjacent the upper endsof the holders 129 to indicate that one column ofpackets 130 containsblack cofiee, another contains' coffee with a dairy product, anothercontains tea with lemon and sugar, another column contains chocolate,

' andother columns may contain soup such as beef vegetable sou chickensoup, onion sou and otato sou These examples are merely illustrative andit is to be understood that the particular ingredients being vended maybe varied as desired or required. 1 I

lt is to be understood that normallythe door 37 is maintained in aclosed and locked position by means of the locking mechanism whichincludes the tumbler 72 and keeper 7 i, but when access is to be gainedto the interior oi the housing Sifor any purpose such as to replace the165, and the portions 165 may have indicia or printed matter thereonsuch as the word Black to indicate the column of packets for blackcoffee. portion 167 helps insure that the member 163 will exert theproper downwardly directed force on the column of packets 130. Also, themember 163 is constructed so that when a particular column of packets130 is exhausted or used up, the fiangeslos will exert a locking actionin conjunctionwith the packet dispensing mechanism so that the pltmger13*) cannot be manually moved outward when a particular'coluntn'ofpackets is empty so that the cu tomer will understand that theparticular item is ternporarily out of stock in the machine whereby itthe customer desires he may reiusert his or her coin in the slot 154 andpurchase a different product from an unexpired I or available column ofpackets 1349. The numeral res indicates a coin return chutewhichserves'to provide a means whereby the customer can insert a finger intothe slot or chute 1nd and retrieve the coin as, for example, when aparticularproduct is not available from the machine. i I p As shown inFIG. 5 for example, the packets 13th are i of the type which include atop" member 174) thathave an integral tab 169, and the tab 169 isadapted to'be manually gripped as, for example, whenthe cover 17% is tobe removed from a packet 13% inorder to permit the contents of' thepacket 13% to be conveniently emptied into a cup 64 The cups (it) are of'the'type thatinclude an annular flange or beadjor rim 171011 the upperportions thereof. 1

As shown in FIG. 3, an air inlet pipe or tube 1'72 is provided for thebody member 44, and thelower end of the pipe 172 communicates with theupper portion of the hollowbody member 44, and the upper end of the pipeor tube 172 is open for the ingress therethrough of air.

- From the foregoing, it'willbe seen that there has been provided avendiug machine which is especially suitable for use in vending foodproducts or the like, such as hot chocolate, hot coffee, hot soups, hottea or other such prod- An enlargement or weighted I 14% is manuallypulled.

water supply in the container or ,to'refill the holders 129 with packets139 or to refill the holders 78 with the cups 6d, then a suitable key isadapted to be inserted in the key slot 73 in order to disengage thekeeper 71 from the slot in the flange 70,:FIG. 2, so that the'door 37can readily swing open on its hinges 38.

Q The holders 129 are open at the top thereof so that the proper numberor quantity of packetscan be readilyinserted in the holders .129 bydepositing or inserting the packets into the open top portions of theholders 129 andthe tabs R69 are adapted to be bent downward as, forexample, as shown in FIG. 5. I I v t The cups 6d are arranged in stackedsuperimposed fashion in the holders 7S, and the drawings illustrate apairof the holders 7% and a corresponding pair of dis-' ensers 7 5, butit is to be understood that the number of I the holders or dispensersina particular vending machine can vary as desired or required In FIG. 11the numeral173 indicatesa plug whichis adapted to be used for connectingthe vending machine of the present invention to a suitable sourceofelectrical energy.

In use, a suitable coin such as a dime is inserted inthe slot 154- andthen the knob 14%) is pulled for the selection I that is-desired. Thecup and packet areremoved from the well 161 by opening the closure 99 bymeans of the handle 1G9, and by grasping the tab 169'the cover isremoved from the packet 130 and the contents of the packet Share emptiedinto the cupfit). Then, the'cup is placed in the well 59-under thespout, and the button 174 is pushed to cause hot water to be dispensedin the cup 6t therebelow, Sugar and stirrers can be convenientlyremovedthrough the slot 67 for use with the vended ingredients. I Asshown in FIG. 1, suitable indicia or printed matter asindicated by'thenumeral 175 is adapted to be arrangedcontiguous to such as above andinalignmentwith the knobs 140 to indicate to the purchaser or user whichitems will be dispensed The ingredients in the pack ets are adapted tobe of the I instant variety as, 'for example, one column of packets maycontain instant coffee in dried or powdered form so that by emptying thecontents of a packet into a cup and then'addinghot water and stirring,the desired end prodnot will beconveniently available. a

a coin such as a dime is insertedin the coin slot or chute 1554, and thecoin moves downwardly and rests in a cradle and the coin acts as a camto release a locking mechanism 176 which is pivotally, mounted as M177,and there is when a particular knob 7 provided a spring member 178 forurging or biasing the locking mechanism 176 in the proper direction,FIG. 6. When an ingredient vend handle or knob 148 is pulled, a singlecup 68 is dispensed and dropped downwardly onto the inclined wall 77,FIG. 4, and this cup 68 then is received in the well 101, and also onepacket 130 having the desired ingredients therein is dropped into thecup in the ingredient well 101, and the coin is released into the coinbox 156, and at the same time the arm or lever 160 is pivoted on itspivot pin 161 so that the end portion 179 of the lever 168 engages andactuates the end portion 199 of the arm 188 to move the parts from thesolid line position of FIG. 6 to the broken line position of FIG. 6 andthis actuates the cup drop dispensing mechanism 74 to drop one cup intothe ingredient well 181 and this starts the electrical cycle.

With particular reference to the electrical cycle, atten tion isdirected to FIG. 11 wherein the numeral 173 indicates'a wall plug, andthe numeral 111 indicates the cup drop switch. When the cup drop switch111 is actuated by the arm 188 being pushed in by the end portion 179 ofthe lever 16th, the circuit is completed through the relay 180 back tothe line or conductor 181 at the Wall plug 173. Now the right relay 180is pulled in and switches 183 and 184 are actuated. The schematic wiringdiagram in FIG. 11 shows both relays 189 and 189 in standby or relaxedposition. The right relay 180 stays actuated even after the cup dropswitch 111 is released because of a hold circuit. From the point 181 ofthe plug 173 to the common of switch 184, then through switch 184 toswitch 185, through the coil of relay 188, back to the point 182 at theplug.

At this point, according to instructions given on the front of themachine, the customer removes the ingredients cup 60 with the ingredientpacket 138 therein, and the ingredients are emptied into the cup and thecup with the ingredients therein is placed in the water well 59. Then,the manual Water switch 174 is depressed by the customer. At this timethe circuit is completed from the point 181 at the wall plug to theswitch 183 and then through the switch 183 to the manual water switch174 which is now being depressed by the customer, then through themanual water switch 174 to the left relay coil 189 so as to complete thecircuit through the coil of the left relay 189 back to the point 182.The, left relay 189 pulled in, actuating switches 185, 186 and 187 and188. The hold circuit to the right relay coil 188 is now broken becauseswitch 185 is pulled in and open. Relay 180 relaxes back to standby atthis time.

Now the timer motor 190 will start. From point 181 at the plug 173 toswitch 188 (now closed), through switch 188 to the timer, completing thecircuit through the timer motor 190 back to point 182 at the plug. Thetimer motor 190 starts running and a leaf or earn 191 on the motoractuates the timer switch 192. The timer switch 192 acts as part of thehold circuit for the coil of the left relay 189 after the manual waterswitch 174 is released by the customer. From point 181 at the plug 173to the switch 187, then through the switch 187 to the timer switch 192(now actuated because the timer is running), through the timer switch192 to the coil of the left relay 189, this completes the circuitthrough the coil of the left relay 189 back to the point 182. Duringthis time, that is the time that the motor 190 is running and the leftrelay 189 is actuated, the water solenoid coil 193 will actuatethe-water valve or fitting 48 to dispense the water into the cup 68 inthe well 59. Thus, the circuit at this time is from point 181 at theplug to switch 186, through the switch 186 to the water solenoid or coil193 completing the circuit through the water solenoid or coil back tothe point 182.

When the timer motor 190 runs for a preset time (preset to allow justenough water to fill the cup 68) the timer switch 192 is released,breaking the hold circuit to the coil of the left relay 189. This putsthe left relay 189 back into standby and the machine is ready foranother vend.

Normally the locking element 176 is in the position shown in FIG. 6 sothat the element 176 serves to block or prevent sliding movement of abar 194 in its groove or passageway 196 since with the bar 194 connectedto the body piece 157 by means of a pin 197, it will be seen that as thebody piece 157 moves the bar 194 will have a tendency to move therewithso that with the locking element 176 in the position of FIG. 6, the edge195 of the bar 194 will strike the locking element 176 so that movementof the bar 194 through its passageway 196 is prevented. However, when acoin of the proper denomination is inserted through the slot 154, thecoin is adapted to actuate a conventional coin mechanism 153 which maybe provided with a suitable coin rejecting arrangement, and when aproper coin such as a dime moves downwardly through the slot or chute154, a coin will move or pivot the locking element 176 in a clockwisedirection, FIG. 6, so that the element 176 will pivot about an axisextending through the pivot pin 177. The spring 178 serves to normallybias or urge the element 176 in a counter-clockwise direction, FIG. 6,but the coin serves to overcome the holding power of the spring 178.Thus, the coin functions or serves as a cam to move the element 176 outof the path of the bar 194 so that when a knob or handle 148 is manuallypulled on, the following will take place. Pulling on a knob moves acorresponding plunger 139 outwardly to compress the spring 141 thereonand this causes corresponding movement of a retainer 142 so that forexample the parts can move from the solid line position of FIG. 5 to thebroken line position of FIG. 5. As a retainer 142 moves from the solidto the broken line position of FIG. 5, it moves the correspondingL-shaped lug 151 which is connected thereto so that the lugs 151 willpull the rod 138 from left to right, FIG. 5, and since the rod 138 issecured as by welding to the upper ends of the pair of arms 135, andsince the rod 138 is also secured to the extension 158 to the body piece157, it will be seen that this action will cause the body piece 157 toshift, and with the body piece 157 connected as at 197 to the bar 194,the bar 194 will be shifted from left to right, FIG. 5. If a knob 140 ispulled on before the proper coin is inserted in the slot 154, thelocking element 176 will be engaged by the edge of the bar 194 so thatthe element 176 will exert a blocking action in order to prevent themachine from being operated without use of the proper coin therein. Theinsertion of the proper coin serves to pivot the element 176 out of theway so that the parts such as the plunger 139 and the retainer 142connected thereto can move from left to right in FIG. 5 in order topermit a single packet 130 to be dispensed into the guide member 152,and the guide member 152 serves to guide the packet into the well 101.

As shown in FIG. 6, the lugs 151 have teeth 198 thereon for coactionwith pawls or dogs 199, and the dogs 199 are pivotally connected to thesupport member 131 as at 280, there being springs 281 connected to theelements 199 for exerting the proper pressure thereon, and the coactingelements 199 and 198 serve to insure that the packets 138 will bedispensed or released from the holders 129 in the desired manner. 7

Normally a retainer 142 is in the position shown in solid lines in FIG.5 so that the upper horizontal portion 143 is below the lowermost packet130, but when the proper coin is inserted in the chute 154, the partsincluding the retainer 142 can move from left to right from the solidline to the broken line position of FIG. 5 whereby the lowermost packet130 can drop down a short distance so that the flange 203 and the packet130 will be engaged or held by diametrically opposed shoulders 204 on ahorizontal plate 285, and then when the retainer 142 returns from thebroken line position to the solid line position of FIG. 5, that is whenthe retainer 142 moves from right to left in FIG. 5, the recessed edge143 will abut or engage the lower portion of the lowermost packet 130 todispense or push the packet 130 'into the guide member 152. Slots orcutouts 202 in the support member 131 provide clearance to permit thesecuring elements 150 to move therethrough as the knobs or handles 140are manually actuated. I p I It is to be noted that with the member 163arranged contiguous to'the uppermost packet 130, as thepackets 139 aredispensed from a particular column thereof, when the last packet of acolumn is dispensed the element 163 will move down into locking positionso as to prevent the particular knob 14-9 correspondingto theemptyfcolumn of packets frombeing used. This occurs because when theelement 163 reaches the bottom of aholder 129, as for example when thepackets in the particular column are all used up or dispensed, theflangeiltw on theelement 163 will move down into engagement with a slotor opening 2&8 in the retainer 142 so that when a knob 140 is pulled on,the flanges or lugs 164 will move against theback wall ass of a holder129 whereby the flanges 1 64 will function as stop members to preventthe foodstuffs can be sold or merchandised in retail establish the rod138 from left to right in MG. 5 for example, and 7 since the extension15% of the body piece 157 is connected to the rod 133, it will be seenthat thismovernent or the rod 138 will cause'corresponding left to rightmovement of the body piece 157, and with the body piece 157 connected asat 162 to the lever 164i, it will be seen that this movement of the bodypiece 157 will resultin pivotal,

movementof the levcrldll on its axis or pivot lldli so that theextensionllfi of the lever 16th will strike the portion 109 and move thearm 108 inwardly. Since the fingers '88 of the gear members extendthrough the slots 11?.

in the arm 1%, it will be seen that as the arm 1th; is shifted by theaction of lever 169, the fingers 2'58 will be moved so as to causerotation of the gear member 8d, and with the teeth 85 of the gear member84 meshing with the teeth 93 of the cams 92, it will be seen that thisrotation of the, gear member 84 will result in corresponding rotation ofthe vcams 92. The cams 92 each have the wedge shaped surfaces '96 aswell as the lugs 94- and this construction is such that the lowermostcup 66 from the stack of cups in the holder 73 will be separatedandcaused to drop downwardly through the opening 811, and

this cup will follow the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 4 sothat the cup will be guided downwardly by the inc-lined wall 77 and thiscup will subsequently be received in the well M91 as previouslydescribed. The Wedge shaped surfaces 96 and the lugs 94 functioncooperatively to insure that only the lowermost cup from the stack ofcups will be separated, and the-parts 94 and 96 are adapted to coactwith and engagethe bead or, shoulder 17} on the upper portion of a cup6h. .Whenthe supply of cups in a particular holder 78 is used up, a cuplever 125 01 124; will function as a stop piece, and while two holdersfor two columns of cups have been illustrated, it is to be understoodthat the number of columns canbe varied as desired or required, and onecup dispenser is contact 110 to actuate or energize the cup drop switchSome of the important features or aspects of the presem invention arethe packet drop mechanism, the switch column cup drop. mechanism, theprinciples of vending a cup and dropping into this cup a food packet,and the constructionot the vending machine of the present inventionitself. p I I I I I It, is tobe'noted thatpachets such as the'packetslllfl;

are adapted to contain dehydrated products, such asde hydrated colfee,tea, soups,-or the like, and while the drawings illustrate the use ofsuch packets in a vending machine, nevertheless such packets can be usedfor other purposes, and'for' example such packets of dehydrated ments toindividualpurchasers or consumers for subsequent use as desired orrequired. Furthermore the packets can be" used by civilians, as well asby military personnel, and can also be used for civil defense purposes.Thus the packets can be conveniently carriedaround or stored untilneeded, and when the contents are to be used, it is only necessary tomanually grip'the tab portion 169 and then pull oit or remove the cover17% from the packet 13h, whereby the material in the packet 13% can beused in ,a desired manner. For example, the ingredients can be added toand mixed with a suitable quan-.

tity of hot water to provide a highly palatable and nutritious foodproduct.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming withinthe field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, ifdesired.

What is claimed is; I

1. A coin operated vending machine comprising a hollow housing, a doorhingedly connected to said housing, a cup mechanism comprising a baseunit including spaced parallel side pieces having an inciined wallpiecesecured therebetween, at least one cup holder mounted above said baseunit, cup dispensers arranged contiguousto the lower por ions of saidcupholders'said cup dispensers each intherein, upstanding flangesaiiixed toan edge of said frame member, a top piece arranged above saidframe mernber, a circular gear member having a plurality oftoothedsections thereon, and said gear member including a depending circularshoulder portion extending through the opening in said framernernber, amovably mounted finger afiixerl to said gear member, a plurality ofspaced apart pins extending between said frame member and top piece,rotary shaped cam surface on each cam element, a bracket affixed to aside of said base unit adjacent the upper portion thereof, said bracketincluding a main straight portion,a bottom portion and spacedparallelend portions and said end portions having slotstherein, an elongatedoperating arm slidable in the slots in the end portions of the bracket,a transverse lug portion on the front end of the operating arm, a cupdrop switch engagea'ble by said transverse lug portion, there beingslots in said operating arm for the projection therethrough of saidfingers, return springs conne'cted to said fingers, a shift leverpivotally connected to said operating arm, and said shift lever having aflange on the upper rear portion thereof, there. being a cutout andrecessedportion in said shift lever, a lock out arm pivotally connectedto said base unit, and said lock out arm having a recessed portion,movable cup levers operatively connected to said cup holders, and a pinafiixedto one of said cup levers for selectively engaging the recessedportion of the lock out arm.

2. in a device of the character described, a housing having a dooroperatively connected. thereto, a packet mechanism comprising aplurality of superposed packet holders mounted on theinside of the door,a support mem- 1 1 said flange and plate, a pair of spaced parallel armshaving their lower ends affiXed to said lower rod, a spring memberhaving an end affixed to said plate and said spring member having itsother end connected to one of the last name-d arms, an upper rodextending between the upper ends of said pair of spaced parallel armsand connected thereto, a plurality of horizontally disposed movableplungers mounted in said door adjacent said support member, and saidplungers having knobs on their outer ends, coil springs on saidplungers, retainers connected to the inner ends of said plungers andsaid retainers being arranged contiguous to the lower ends of saidpacket holders, L- shaped lugs affixed to said retainers for selectivelyengaging the upper rod, each of said retainers including an upperportion having an arcuate recess in an edge thereof, a movable bodypiece contiguous to said plate, an extension on said body piececonnected to said upper rod, :1 bell crank lever pivotally connected tosaid body piece, a slidable bar arranged contiguous to said plate, alocking element adapted to be actuated by a coin, and said lockingelement being arranged in coacting relationship with said sliding bar,and a blocking element having means thereon for engaging a retainer toblock movement of a plunger and retainer when a column of packets in apacket holder is used up. 1

3. -In a vending machine, a cup dispenser including an operating armhaving a transverse lug portion on an end thereof, a cup drop switchselectively engageable by said transverse lug portion, a packetdispenser including a plurality of manually movable plungers havingretainers operatively connected thereto, lugs connected to saidretainers, a rod selectively engageable by said lugs, a body pieceoperatively connected to said rod, a bell crank lever pivotallyconnected to said body piece and said bell crank lever adapted to engagesaid transverse lug portion, a slidable bar arranged adjacent said bodypiece, and a coin controlled locking element for coaction with said bar.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,029,460 Brady t Feb. 4, 1936 2,157,194 Web-ber May 9, 1939 2,682,984Melikian July 6, 1954 2,729,376 Gould et al Jan. 3, 1956 2,852,043Cooper Sept. 16, 1958 3,027,261 Samara Mar. 27, 1962

1. A COIN OPERATED VENDING MACHINE COMPRISING A HOLLOW HOUSING, A DOORHINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID HOUSING, A CUP MECHANISM COMPRISING A BASEUNIT INCLUDING SPACED PARALLEL SIDE PIECES HAVING AN INCLINED WALL PIECESECURED THEREBETWEEN, AT LEAST ONE CUP HOLDER MOUNTED ABOVE SAID BASEUNIT, CUP DISPENSERS ARRANGED CONTIGUOUS TO THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAIDCUP HOLDERS, SAID CUP DISPENSERS EACH INCLUDING A FRAME MEMBER HAVING ANENLARGED OPENING THEREIN, UPSTANDING FLANGES AFFIXED TO AN EDGE OF SAIDFRAME MEMBER, A TOP PIECE ARRANGED ABOVE SAID FRAME MEMBER, A CIRCULARGEAR MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF TOOTHED SECTIONS THEREON, AND SAIDGEAR MEMBER INCLUDING A DEPENDING CIRCULAR SHOULDER PORTION EXTENDINGTHROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID FRAME MEMBER, A MOVABLY MOUNTED FINGERAFFIXED TO SAID GEAR MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART PINS EXTENDINGBETWEEN SAID FRAME MEMBER AND TOP PIECE, ROTARY CAM ELEMENTS MOUNTED ONSAID PINS, SAID CAM ELEMENTS INCLUDING TOOTHED GEAR PORTIONS MESHINGWITH THE TOOTHED SECTIONS OF THE GEAR MEMBER, A LUG AND INCLINEDWEDGESHAPED CAM SURFACE ON EACH CAM ELEMENT, A BRACKET AFFIXED TO A SIDEOF SAID BASE UNIT ADJACENT THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF, SAID BRACKETINCLUDING A MAIN STRAIGHT PORTION, A BOTTOM PORTION AND SPACED PARALLELEND PORTIONS AND SAID END PORTIONS HAVING SLOTS THEREIN, AN ELONGATEDOPERATING ARM SLIDABLE IN THE SLOTS IN THE END PORTIONS OF THE BRACKET,A TRANSVERSE LUG PORTION ON THE FRONT END OF THE OPERATING ARM, A CUPDROP SWITCH ENGAGEABLE BY SAID TRANSVERSE LUG PORTION, THERE BEING SLOTSIN SAID OPERATING ARM FOR THE PROJECTION THERETHROUGH OF SAID FINGERS,RETURN SPRINGS CONNECTED TO SAID FINGERS, A SHIFT LEVER PIVOTALLYCONNECTED TO SAID OPERATING ARM, AND SAID SHIFT LEVER HAVING A FLANGE ONTHE UPPER REAR PORTION THEREOF, THERE BEING A CUTOUT AND RECESSEDPORTION IN SAID SHIFT LEVER, A LOCK OUT ARM PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAIDBASE UNIT, AND SAID LOCK OUT ARM HAVING A RECESSED PORTION, MOVABLE CUPLEVERS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CUP HOLDERS, AND A PIN AFFIXED TOONE OF SAID CUP LEVERS FOR SELECTIVELY ENGAGING THE RECESSED PORTION OFTHE LOCK OUT ARM.